Playpen



June 26, 1962 J, HESKET'H ETAL 3,040,341

PLAYPEN Filed June 7, 1960 Lu, *ik

IN V EN TORS 52 BY an@ ce" n United States Patent @fiee 3,040,341 PLAYPEN James Alan Hesketh, Lawrence, Mass., and Herbert Rubin, New York Toy & Game Mfg. Co., 200

th Ave., New York 10, N.Y.; said Hesketh assigner This invention relates to playpens, and more particularly to folding playpens.

The primary object of the inveniton is to generally improve folding playpens and to provide a folding playpen of reduced size, for use by children playing with dolls.

Other objects are to provide such a playpen which is relatively simple and economical to manufacture; easy `for a child to set up and use, it requiring no tools, screws, or the like; and which is sturdy and stable when in use.

To accomplish the foregoing general objects, and other more specific objects which will hereinafter appear, the invention resides in the playpen elements and their relation one to another as `are hereinafter more Particularly described in the following specification. The specification is accompanied by a drawing in which:

FIG. l is a side elevation of a playpen embodying features of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an end elevation;

FIG. 3 is a side elevation with the playpen nearly, but not fully folded for storage or shipment;

FIG. 4 is Ia fragmentary section explanatory of a detail;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary section taken in the plane of the line 5 5 of FIG.. l; and

FIG. 6 is an enlarged View of a different form of textile mesh which may be used for the sides of the playpen.

Referring to the drawing, the playpen comprises a rectangular top frame made up of two U-shaped halves 14 and 16 pivoted together at their open ends by means of pivots 18. There are also two A-shaped side frames providing four legs to support the playpen. The side frames are made up of diagonal members 20 and 22 and a horizontal cross-bar made up of two parts 24 and 26 which are pivoted at the middle by means of a pivot 2S. This is preferably in the form of a stop hinge which affords upward but not downward folding of the pivoted middle of the cross-bar. For this purpose the hinge may include a plate 30 having a ledge 31 bent outward over the part 26, and there is a similar ledge bent inwardly over the past 24. The sides 20 and 22 of the A-frame meet in a vertex which is pivoted on the pivot 18 of the top frame 14, 16.

The side frames are preferably held in properly spaced relation by means of spacer bars best shown at 32 in FIG. 2. These are preferably secured at the ends of the cross-bars 24, 26 of the A-frames, and for this purpose each of the two spacer bars 32 is preferably bent at right angles at its end as shown at 34 in FIGS. 2 and 5, and is held by the same rivet or stud 36 that is used to secure the cross-bar 24, 26 to the diagonal members 20 and 22.

The structure further comprises struts 38 which extend between the top frame and the A-frames in order to support the top frame in the spread condition shown in FIG. 1. These struts are pivoted at one end, and are provided with a slot for a detachable connection at the other end. Preferably, it is the upper ends which are pivoted as shown at 40, while the lower ends are provided with keyhole slots 42 for detachable connection to studs 44.

Referring to FIG. 5 the rivet 36 holds together the diagonal `leg 20, the spacer bar 32 and the cross-bar 24 of the frame. This rivet, like most of those shown, is

3,040,341 Patented June 26, 1962 frictional rather than tight, that is, it affords a turning action of the par-ts 2 4 relative to the part 20.

Referring now to FIG. 4, the stud 44 is preferably stepped in diameter, so that there remains an outstanding portion 45 for detachably receiving the keyhole slot 42 of the strut 38.

The keyhole slot is enlarged at its lower end, and is reduced at its upper end. This is desirable because the weight of the top frame and of the strut tends to move the lower end of the strut downward, so that it then remains on the anchoring stud. The strut may be intentionally raised when it is desired to disconnect it from the stud in `order to fold the playpen.

With the arrangement so far described it will be evident that by 4disconnecting the lower ends of the struts 38, and by moving the stop hinges 28 upward, the entire frame may be collapsed and folded together as shown in FIG. 3. In that figure the playpen has been only partly folded, in order to better show the different parts of the structure.

The sides of the playpen are made up of a mesh textile material which is secured to and depends from the top frame. In practice, a broad band or tape of fabric is preferably folded about the top frame as indicated at 50, and the upper edge of the textile net 52 is securely stitched in position between the lower edges of the folded tape 5t). This stitching is indicated at 54.

The mesh or textile material turns inward at the bottom, as by use of a drawstring threaded through the bottom edge of the mesh and then drawn to a smaller peripheral dimension than that of the top frame. In this way, the mesh is held distended by the bottom board 60. The latter is preferably a one-piece, stiff, flat bottom board which is dimensioned to pass through the top frame. The'board may be made of painted wood, but preferably is a board made of Masonite of other such `compressed hard-board which then is covered with fabric for improved appearance. This bottom is removed from the playpen before folding the. same, and may be stored side-by-side with the folded frame, the dimensions being approximately the same.

The height of the mesh is preferably so dimensioned that the bottom board 60 just reaches, and therefore is supported by the spacers 32, as shown in FIG. 2.

The textile mesh shown in FIGS. l and 2 employs diagonal strands of cord which are knotted together like a shnet. However, a knit mesh may be employed, which when expanded, forms rectangular openings as shown in FIG. 5; The mesh may be and preferably is made of a suitable synethetic textile material, for example, nylon.

The metal parts of the frame may all be made of channel shaped metal, it being a strip of heavy gauge sheet metal with yits edges rolled inward, thereby stiffening the material, and providing it with a nicely finished, well rounded edge. This channel material is commercially available, and is commonly used in this field.

The lower ends of the legs preferably receive cup-shaped guards or cushioning members, which may be made of rubber or other suitable soft, plastics material. These are dimensioned to slide tightly over the ends of the legs, to minimizing slippage on and possible scratching of a polished floor surface. They also give a more nished and ornamental appearance tothe playpen.

It is believed that the construction and method of use of our improved toy playpen, as well as the advantages thereof, will be apparent from the foregoing detailed description. It will also be apparent that while we have shown our invention in a preferred form, changes may be made in the structure shown without departing from the scope Yof the invention as sought to be dened in the following claims.k

We claim:

l. A toy playpen for use with dolls, said playpen cornprising a rectangular top trarne made up of two U-shaped halves pivoted together attheir open ends, two A-shaped side frames providing four legs to support the playpen, the vertex of each A being pivoted at one of the aforesaid frarne pivots, the horizontal cross-bar of each A being pivoted at the middle with a stop hinge affording upward but not downward folding of the cross-bar, spacer bars extending horizontally between the A-frames, struts extending between the top frame and the .xrames to support the top frame in spread condition, open mesh textile material secured to and depending from the top frame and constituting the side Walls of the playpen, and a one -piece stiff at bottom board dimensioned to pass through the top frame and resting on and supported by the aforesaid spacer bars, the aforesaid struts being generally upright with their upper ends pivoted on the top frame and their lower ends provided With slots for detachable connection to mating studs projecting from the A-frames near the ends of the cross-bars and spacer bars, the arrangement being such that when the bottom board is removed and the struts are released at their lower ends, the playpen may be folded to compact dimension.

2. A toy playpen for use with dolls, said playpen comprising an approximately square top frame made up of twoU-shaped halves pivoted together at their open ends, two A-shaped side frames providing four legs to support the playpen, the vertex `of each A being pivoted at one of the aforesaid frame pivots, the horizontal cross-bar of each A being pivoted at the middle with a stop hinge affording upward but not downward folding of the crossbar, spacer bars extending horizontally between the A- frarnes near the ends of the cross-bars, struts extending between the top frame and the A-frames to support the top frame in spread condition, open mesh textile material secured to and depending from the -top frame and constituting the side walls of the playpen, and a one-piece stiff at bottom board dimensioned to pass through the top frame and resting -on and supported by the aforesaid spacer bars, the aforesaid struts being generally upright With their upper ends pivoted on the top frame and their lower ends provided with inverted keyhole shaped slots fordetachable connection to mating studs projecting from the A-frarnes near the ends of the cross-bars and spacer bars, the arrangement being such that when the bottom board is removed and the struts released at their lower ends, the playp'en may be folded to compact dimension.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,908,021 Fulton Oct. 13, 1959 2,922,169 Werner Jan. 26, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS 4,519 Switzerland Ian. 1l, 1892 167,119 Switzerland Apr. `16, 1934 640,023 France Mar. 19, 1928 en n www 

